Starting mechanism eor internal-combustion engines



W. I. EDENS.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I2, I919.

134,040. I Patented Dec. 9,1919. 3 SHEETS -SHEET I.

I II E! wuemtoz Chimneys W. J. EDENS.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPHCATION FILED MAY 12, 1919. V

L3QU4Q I Patented Dec. 9,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

glvwemtoz W. J. EDENS START|NG MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1919.

1 ,324,040. I Patented Dec. 911919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Queuing WILLIAM J. EDEN S, OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application filed May 12, 1919. Serial No. 296,367.

To all whom it may concern Be'it known that I, WILLIAM J. EDENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Allis, county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Starting Mechanism for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in starting mechanisms for internal combustion engines.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and reliable means for utilizing an auxiliary fly wheel to store up power during an initial cranking operation, preparatory to connecting the crank with the engine shaft, and to subsequently utilize the power stored in the fly wheel to start the englue, or to assist the operator in a further cranking operation, during which the crank is operatively connected with the engine shaft.

I have discovered that by mounting an auxiliary fly wheel upon an independent shaft or trunnion and gearing it to the start ing shaft in a suitable gear ratio, the fly wheel may be brought to high speed in an initial cranking operation by a crank connected with the larger gear wheel of the train, and the same gear train subsequently utilized as a train of reduction gears to transmit motion from the rapidly revolving fly wheel to the engine shaft at a considerably lower speed and with correspondingly increased power.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of mechanism embodying my invention, drawn to a plane common to the axes of the fly wheel, the starting shaft, and the crank.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation with a portion of the crank and its associated gear wheel broken away to expose the expander clutch for operatively connecting the gear wheel with the starting shaft.

F ig.- 3 is a-sectional view drawn on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but showing a modified form of construction.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several.

views.

The starting shaft 1 is adapted to be coupled to the engine shaft in the ordinary manner and is provided with the customary retracting spring 2. Near its outer end it is provided with a disk 3 to which a web at is secured and which carries a clutch rim 5. A gear wheel 6 is rotatively mounted upon a hub 7 between a disk 3 and a detachable head 8, which is connected to the starting shaft 1 by means of screws or bolts 9. The starting crank 10 is pivotally connected with the gear wheel 6 by a pin 11 which passes through the gear wheel and is provided at its inner end with an expander block 12, operating between the heads 13 to a clutch band 14 located within the rim 5. The clutch band 14: is anchored to the gear wheel by the connecting bolt 14. in a well known manner.

It is obvious that by oscillating the crank 10 and the pivot pin 11, to which it is secured, the expander block will be oscillated within the heads 13 to separate them and expand the clutch band 141 into forcible frictional contact with the rim 5, thereby connecting the gear wheel 6 to the starting shaft 1 by means of said expander clutch. But it will be observed that the crank 10 may be latched to the gear wheel 11 with the crank arm projecting radially as indicated by full lines in Fig. 3, and when so latched the crank may be utilized to actuate gear wheel 6 upon the hub 7 without actuating the starting shaft 1. A simple form of latch is illustratedin Fig. 2. It comprises a bar 15 pivoted to the gear wheel at 16 and passing between lugs 17 and 19 on the face of the crank arm with its swinging end in position to engage a shoulder at 18 on the crank arm and press the crank arm into approximate contact with a projection 25 on the gear wheel 6. The lugs 17 and 19 are adapted to allow the latch arm to swing outwardly, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby allowing the crank arm to also swing to its dotted line position in Fig. 2, in which position it will expand the clutch.

A fly wheel 20 is mounted upon a stud shaft 21, preferably located below the'starting shaft 1. The hub of this fly wheel is provided with a pinion 22, the teeth of which mesh with the peripheral teeth of the gear wheel 6; therefore, when the gear wheel 6 is rotated, motion will be'transmitted to actuate the fly wheel 20.

In operation the crank arm 10 will first be swung to its radial position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 2, and the latch 15 will then be adjusted to lock the crank arm in this position againsta shouldered projection 25 carried by the gear wheel 6. The gear wheel 6 will then be manually rotated by means of the crank until the fly wheel has acquired the desired degree of momentum. Thereupon a release of pressure or a slight backward pull on the crank, when the latter is projecting downwardly, will release the latch 15 and allow it to drop by gravity and also under the influence of centrifugal force to unlatching position.

The operator will then immediately resume the pressure upon the crank, but the latch being released, the crank will swing upon its pivotal axis and oscillate the pivot pin 11 to set the clutch, the crank moving to its dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 2.

As soon as the clutch band 15 has been forced into engagement with the rim 5, further motion of the gear wheel 6 will of course be transmitted to the starting shaft 1, and if said starting shaft has been properly pushed outwardly into engagement with the motor shaft, the momentum of the fly wheel 20 will be utilized to assist the operator in rotating gear wheel 6 in operative connection with the engine shaft to start the en gine.

As soon as the engine has started, the starting shaft 1 will be pushed outwardly and disengaged from the engine shaft in the usual manner, a spring 2 assisting in disconnecting the starting shaft and allowing the starting mechanism to come to rest, the operator having of course released his hold upon the crank 10.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be observed that the gear wheel 6 and fly wheel 20 are located within a housing 30. The engine shaft 31 carries a disk 3 web 45 and rim 5 corresponding with the parts 3, 4C and 5, in Figs. 1 and 2. The gear wheel 6 is rotatively supported in part upon the engine shaft and in part upon the starting shaft 1,

the latter projecting through the housing 30 and having a crank 10 fixed to its outer end.

A cone shaped arm 35 is secured to the shaft 1 within the housing, and is normally held in the full line position of Fig. 5 by a latch 15 similar to the latch 15 of Figs. 1 and 2, 25, 17 and 19 are stops on the gear wheel, corresponding functionally with the stops or shoulders 25, 17, and 19, above described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

When the latch 15 is released by a slight backward pull upon the crank, it moves to the dotted line position of Fig. 5. Further pressure upon the crank will then oscillate shaft 1 and arm 35. The latter will then actuate an arm 36 on the expander stud 37 I to oscillate the expander block 12 and set the clutch 15 for a motor starting operation assisted by the fly wheel in the same manner as the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

When the engine starts, the relatively increased speed of the motor shaft and clutch rim 5 will be transmitted to cause a relative forward movement of gear wheel 6* with reference to the crank and this will release the clutch by restoring the crank and arm 35 to their normal relative position, and allow latch 15 to drop into latching position, when the crank is stopped in an upwardly projecting position.

My invention is particularly applicable tow the engines of tractors and other high power engines which require manual start ing mechanism for constant or occasional use, .and especially for manually started high compression engines, it being obvious that the required labor is distributed over a lon er interval, so that the work can be done wit out heavy strain.

I claimp I 1. Starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, including the combination with an engine shaft, of a fly Wheel mounted for independent rotation, reduction gears and clutch mechanism adapted, when the clutch is set, to transmit motion to the engine shaft, and devices for manually actuating the fly wheel.

2. Starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, including the combination with an engine shaft, of a fly wheel mounted for independent rotation, reduction. gears and clutch mechanism adapted, when the clutch is set, to transmit motion to the engine shaft, and devices for manually actuating the fly wheel through the train of reduction gears from a slowly revolving gear in the train. a

3. Starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, including the combination I k for independent rotation, and provided with a pinion, a gear wheel having a friction clutch adapted to connect it with the engine shaft, and arranged in power transmitting relation to said pinion, a crank in pivotal connection with the gear wheel, and adapted for independent movement about itspivotal axis to set the clutch, and a latch adapted to prevent a clutch setting movement of the crank about its axis, whereby the gear wheel may be actuated either with or without setting the clutch.

5. Starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, including the combination with an engine shaft of a fly wheel mounted for independent rotation, and provided with a pinion, a gear Wheel having a friction clutch adapted to connect it with the engine shaft, and arranged in power transmitting relation to said pinion, a crank in pivotal connection With the gear Wheel, and adapted for independent movement about its pivotal axis to set the clutch, and a latch adapted to prevent a clutch setting movement of the crank about its axis, whereby the gear Wheel may be actuated either with or Without setting the clutch, said latch being adapted to automatically release the crank for a clutch 15 VILLIAM J. EDENS.

lVitnesses LEVERETT C. l/VHEELER, ALICE J. MGKERIIIAN. 

